In The News @ 3:30

President Obama is speaking out about the deadly shooting at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina. Nine people were killed and a suspect is in custody. Speaking at the White House, the President called it “senseless.” He also expressed heartache, sadness and anger. The Justice Department has opened a federal hate crime investigation.

Audit: Fire Department Not Implementing Reforms

A newly released audit finds DC Fire and EMS has not implemented most of the reforms recommended following the 2006 death of a former “New York Times” reporter. Of the 36 recommendations made following the David Rosenbaum incident, auditor Kathleen Patterson says only eleven are now in place while six others have been partially implemented and four were implemented but then rescinded. Rosenbaum was injured in a street mugging, but emergency personnel first thought he was drunk and made treating him a low priority.

Spokane Mayor Asks Dolezal To Resign From Commission

The fallout continues over the Washington state woman questioned about her race. Spokane Mayor Dave Condon today asked Rachel Dolezal to resign from a city commission that provides citizen oversight to the city’s police department. The mayor says an investigation found that Dolezal and others engaged in workplace harassment and violated ethics rules while on the commission. Dolezal resigned as the head of Spokane’s NAACP chapter after her biological parents revealed she falsely claimed to be black.

Supreme Court Says Texas Can Deny Confederate Flag

The Supreme Court says Texas can doesn’t have to issue license plates with the Confederate battle flag. Justice Clarence Thomas joined the four liberal members of the court today to keep the flag off Texas license plates in the five-to-four ruling. The plate has become the only one Texas has rejected on the grounds that its message was offensive to some.

Harold Fisher

Harold T. Fisher is a broadcast journalist and author. He is currently the host of the news/talk program, “The Daily Drum” on WHUR-FM and H-U-R Voices, Sirius/XM Channel 141. Highlights of his journalism campaigns include the aftermath of the earthquake in Port Au Prince, Haiti; coverage of the 2008 Democratic and Republican conventions; the Jena 6 protests in central Louisiana; the Midwestern floods of 1994 and hurricane Andrew in 1992.